New beginnings
by rotg5311
Summary: Loki gets sent to Earth with all his powers stripped and his appearance altered. He lands on Stark Tower, finding himself at the mercy of Tony Stark. Can they get past their differences? Or will they let the past stand in their way?
1. Chapter 1

It was the middle of the night; Tony shouldn't have to deal with this. The one time he actually went to bed at a decent hour, he got woken up. He shot up in bed, looking around wildly, not quite sure what exactly had woke him up.

"JARVIS," Tony said to his AI. "What the hell is happening?"

"Sir, it seems to me that something has landed on the tower." Replied the melodic British voice.

Tony looked out the window in time to see a bright flash of light coming from outside. Swearing to himself, he jumped out of bed and told JARVIS to get his suit ready. In an instant, one of his suits, the Mark 7, was in front of him, opening up around his body. Since Pepper had left him, Tony had taken to keeping at least one of his Iron Man suits in a special case in his closet. She had never liked them being in the bedroom, but now that she was gone; he liked keeping them all over the tower. You know, just in case.

A window opened up, allowing Tony to fly out and up to his roof. Whatever he had expected, it wasn't this. Loki, the crazy God who had invaded New York and attempted to take over the planet, was standing on the roof, cursing the sky. Tony gently landed a few feet away, trying to suppress his giggles. He found it funny because, while there was no doubt in his mind that it was Loki, it didn't look like him.

Instead of the long, raven locks Tony remembered Loki having, there were short blonde curls. The eyes that had previously been a strong shade of green were now a light shade of blue-gray. Loki's features were also less sharp. His cheeks were a little fuller, his jaw line more rounded. They were only minor changes, but the overall effect made his face look softer. If that made any sense at all, which in Tony's head, it didn't.

Then Loki seemed to focus on Tony, realizing for the first time he was no longer alone. If it was possible, his expression became even madder. It was a bit bizarre to see this expression on Loki's 'new' face, since it looked like the type of face that should only hold smiles.

"You!" The Norse God snarled, diving for Tony's throat.

The billionaire sidestepped, roughly grabbing hold of Loki's arm. He heard a loud snap as Loki cried out in pain. It made him freeze. The snap had almost sounded like a bone breaking, but that couldn't be right. Loki was a _God_. He had been smashed into the floor by the Hulk, for Christ's sake! No way could his arm be broken.

But as he looked down at the arm in his grip, he realized he was dead wrong. There was no doubt in his mind that the arm was broken, he could practically see the bone sticking out of the skin. Tony immediately let go, and backed up a little, not quite sure what to do. Looking up at Loki, he realized he had to help, no matter how much his brain was shouting 'NO!' at him. Loki looked pale as fuck. His eyes were wide, and he was hyperventilating, obviously trying to ignore the pain. It didn't work because next thing he knew, Loki was falling face first onto the ground. Luckily, he was still close enough that he caught him before Loki got anymore injured from a face plant.

So, against his better judgment, Tony threw Loki over his shoulder, mindful of his broken arm, and flew back down to the tower.

"JARVIS, clear the medical ward."

"Yes, sir. I will notify the staff immediately." Said the AI in his helmet.

"Thanks, JARV. I've got work to do."


	2. Chapter 2

Loki woke up in pain. So much pain. In fact, he wasn't even sure why he was hurting so much. But, slowly, the memories came flooding back. He had hidden Odin away while he was in the Odinsleep, putting heavy enchantments on him. Loki wasn't exactly sure how, but someone had discovered the Allfather while he slept. Maybe his spells hadn't made Odin as invisible to Heimdallr as he originally thought. One thing lead to another, and after a very long fight, Odin stripped Loki of his powers and cast him down to Midgard. He still had hope that he could change, just as Thor had. Foolish old man!

Of all the places he could've landed, it happened to be on Stark tower. Oh the irony! Loki didn't doubt that Odin dropped him there on purpose. So, as he cursed the sky, speaking directly to the gatekeeper he knew was listening, Stark had appeared. Loki saw red. He was absolutely infuriated and seeing one of the Avengers, especially that stuck-up arrogant billionaire, only made him madder. Forgetting he was powerless, Loki went after Stark. A metal encased hand reached out, grabbing his arm. For a second, he wasn't sure what the snapping noise was, then he felt the pain. Looking down at his arm, Loki knew immediately that it was broken. It shouldn't be twisted like that. And the bone defiantly shouldn't be that close to the skin.

He tried to slow his breathing and block out the pain, but it was only then that he realized how much everything hurt. Maybe he had broken something from the fall to Midgard, and the adrenaline from his anger blocked out the pain. So, despite the tremendous effort he was putting into staying awake, he passed out. Now he woke up, not quite sure where exactly he was.

He opened his eyes and immediately shut them again. Why was everything so _bright_? The air smelt sanitary, too. Loki took a quick assessment of his body, considering he didn't want to open his eyes again but still wanted to know the damage. His arm was definitely broken, he could feel the cast on it. It hurt to breathe, and his chest was wrapped up tight. No doubt a couple of ribs had been cracked, too. Plus, both of his ankles were extremely sore. Hopefully that was the only damage done.

This time when Loki opened his eyes, the light wasn't so blinding. Looking around, he realized he was in some sort of Midgardian hospital. But how did he get here? Loki tried sitting up, but pain in his ribs, along with the new ache in his back prevented it. The doors off to the side of the room opened up, revealing two men. One, Loki could identify as the ever infuriating Stark. The other one, he wasn't quite sure. It was someone who knew who he was, and he racked his brain, trying to put a name to that face. Suddenly, it clicked. That was the Beast. Actually, the man who changed into the Beast. Agent Barton had told him all about Dr. Banner and the Hulk when he had been under his power.

Loki heard the steady beeping sound in the background pick up pace. Banner and Stark exchanged a look before checking a machine next to Loki. Then Banner walked to the corner of the room that was the furthest away from Loki. That only made him calm down a little. He didn't want the Beast to bash him into the floor with this mortal form. There was no way he would survive it. Stark slowly walked forward, with a soft smile on his face. As if the smile could hide all the dark, twisted things he would do to Loki once he was healed. Of course Loki was here. He realized now that they were keeping him alive to make him pay for his failed attempt to take over this useless realm.

"Good morning, Princess." Stark said, stopping about a foot away from the bed Loki was on. "We were beginning to think you wouldn't wake up. How are you feeling?"

"Like I was dropped from Asgard onto your dreadful tower." Loki told him. How dare he mock him like this. Stark didn't care how he was feeling. The other man just laughed at Loki.

"Yeah, we figured." Stark said, gesturing to the man in the corner of the room. He had been so quiet, that Loki had almost forgot he was there. Stark seemed to notice how Loki instantly tensed up because he quickly added, "Don't worry. He wont Hulk out. Isn't that right, Brucie?"

"As long as Loki behaves, then the other guy wont smash him into the floor. Again." The man told Loki, wiping off his glasses while looking at the floor. It appeared that no one in the room was comfortable with this current situation.

"So," Stark said after a long, tense pause. "Who wants to get something to eat? Then maybe we can talk about why I have a Norse God in my hospital bed."


	3. Chapter 3

So, Tony thought he could handle this. He was wrong. JARVIS's scans said there was internal bleeding, and Tony was no Doctor. Luckily, he knew one. Bruce was the only Doctor he could really trust with stuff like this. So, even though he was dreading the conversation that would follow, he had JARVIS send Bruce up immediately. Tony begged and pleaded for Bruce's help, and he must've sounded pretty desperate, because he helped. They were friends, and Bruce knew that Tony would keep the promise of "Help first, ask questions later."

After what seemed like forever, Bruce managed to get Loki into a stable condition. The newly blonde Norse God was patched up as good as Bruce could get it. And he hadn't even hulked out, which was a major accomplishment. Tony figured that was his doctor side kicking in, with all the 'helping those in need' crap. So, now he had a lot of explaining to do. They had gone to the floor Tony had made specifically for Bruce. It had a cage, not unlike the one on the helicarrier. With the small exception of this one coming from Stark Industries, which automatically meant it was better. It was Bruce's idea in the first place, in case the other guy ever made a surprise appearance. And now, he was feeling more comfortable going into the cage, so Tony wasn't about to fight him on it. He hated having his tower rebuilt.

"Explain." Bruce said once he was on the other side of the glass. "Now."

"Ok, look, I know how this seems." Tony told him. It seems bat-shit crazy, and he wasn't about to disagree with that. "But you saw the damage. He just passed out. I couldn't leave him."

"He's a war criminal. He tried to take over the planet. He brought an army." Bruce told him, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but we brought the Hulk." Tony poured himself a much needed scotch.

"Tony."

"Bruce!" He looked over at the other man and saw the rippling green in his skin. Ok so maybe now wasn't the best time for jokes. "What do you want to know?"

"Just give me a logical explanation for why you helped him." Then, in a much quieter voice Bruce added, "Tell me why you didn't just let him die."

"I should've." Tony knew it was the truth, so why did he feel bad saying it? "But I couldn't. I broke him Bruce. Literally. I snapped his arm, in two places. I felt bad. Despite what people say, I _do _have a conscience, you know."

Bruce looked a little more relaxed at this explanation. Now it looked like the other guy wasn't about to come out to play.

"I know you do, Tony. Sometimes I just wish you didn't." Bruce said, coming out of the cage. "I can't let him die either. So, now you're stuck with him"

"What?" Tony didn't find Bruce's smile funny. "Why do I get Loki?"

"Your tower. You get to keep him until he's fixed." Bruce ignored Tony's protests. "Then you can call Fury, or something. Come one, lets go wait for him to wake up. I bet he has a great story to tell."

"Yeah, you go ahead and try too get him to talk." Tony said, smiling to himself. That had gone a lot better than expected. But, that's one of the reasons he loved his best friend. They always had each others backs. Hopefully that would never change.


	4. Chapter 4

Eating had been a lot harder than Loki expected. Even though he was hungry, he couldn't keep any food down. They found that out when Stark made him try the Midgardian Chinese food. Banner said it was a bad idea, but the thick-headed scientist wouldn't listen. Turns out, the Beast was right, and Loki ended up puking into a bucket that had been shoved near his head just in time.

"Tony," Banner said, with a disapproving look on his face. "I _told_ you he shouldn't eat that stuff."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'll find some nasty hospital food for him later, ok?" Stark said as they put all the food away. Thankfully once it was out of sight and mind, the gnawing feeling in his stomach turned into a dull ache he was able to ignore. Loki felt horribly uncomfortable here. He was still furious about everything and he despised the mortals sitting in front of them. But he knew he had to play nice. If he could heal enough, then maybe he would be able to escape before they started in on the torture.

So, Loki laid there, trying to be as impassive as he could, feeling like he was in the clouds. Banner had injected some sort of liquid into the bag connected to his arm. Ever since then, the pain had left, but Loki felt disconnected from his body in a way he had seldom felt before. He felt sluggish and thoughts came too slowly to his mind. Some part of his brain was telling him to keep his mouth shut, because he knew something was wrong. The two men were asking questions, and Loki's answers were coming out unfiltered.

"So, reindeer games, tell us why you're here." Stark said with an infuriating grin on his face.

"You brought me here." Loki said.

"Oh, ha_ ha_. I meant why did I wake up to a cupid-looking Asgardian on my roof?" Stark replied.

"Cupid?" Loki was confused. The name was somewhere in his mind, but he wasn't exactly sure what Stark meant. His mind wasn't working at its normal pace. He just couldn't _think_. They gave him some sort of horrible Midgardian drug. He noticed Banner and Stark give each other some sort of look. He couldn't exactly tell what sort of look it was, but they oviously knew something Loki didn't.

"Never mind." The beast said. "Just tell us why you landed on the tower."

"He threw me." Loki told them, like it was the most natural thing in the world to be revealing secrets to the enemy. "Foolish old man. Odin actually thinks I can change. Like Thor. When will he learn I'm _not_ Thor?"

Over the next few hours they managed to get more information out of Loki than anyone ever had. They stopped once so Banner could inject more of the mystery liquid into him. Loki protested weakly. He knew it must've looked pathetic. Him begging for them to stop, and the other two men looking down on him with pity. He felt ashamed. But once they questioning began again, Loki felt even worse. Later he wouldn't remember half the things they asked, and the questions he did remember, he would hate himself for telling them the answers to. He was a lie smith, he shouldn't be being so truthful with them.

Pretty soon, they both left, and Loki drifted off to sleep. It was not peaceful. Nightmares of the Chitauri, the Other, and Thanos invaded his mind. Memories of the unbearable pain they had put him through lingered through his body. He was screaming over and over again. There was so much blood. On the blade. On the table. Pooling on the floor beneath him. The blood was everywhere. No human could survive this. Luckily for them, he was a God. Well, technically he wasn't anymore. Suddenly his dream shifted to one of Odin.

His so-called father was yelling at him. He called him a monster. Which was true. Loki was the thing children were afraid of. He was the exact thing Loki had been terrified of for countless years during his childhood. Then his mother appeared, back from the dead.

"Mother?" Loki said, suddenly a child again.

"You asked if I was proud of you now," A memory of being chained and brought to face Odin invaded his thoughts. "And my answer is no. I wasn't proud of you. I never have been. Now I'm dead, and it's all your fault."

Loki felt his heart crumple in his chest. "But-"

"It's your fault." Frigga cut him off. "If you weren't locked up you could have saved me. I would still be alive if you weren't a monster. You were right, we'd never let a Frost Giant be King. But you aren't a frost giant, are you? But neither are you an Aesir. You are a freak, Loki."

Suddenly Loki was jerking awake in bed. Pain shot through his body at the sudden movement, but he didn't care. An even bigger pain was in his heart. He loved his Mother, he always had. When he lost a Father and a Brother, Frigga never stopped being his Mom. So this dream had broken his heart almost as much as her death had. Loki tried to stop the tears that threatened to escape his eyes, but it was no use. That's when he noticed he was no longer alone in the room.


	5. Chapter 5

So, Tony was a horrible person. It wasn't a new feeling to him. Only this time, he felt particularly bad. Maybe it was because Bruce felt bad, it was just rubbing off on him, too. For a while Tony and Bruce had been working on a truth serum. Not that fake shit the government uses, this was much better. It was Tony's idea to use it on Loki. But, it had been Bruce's idea to add the pain killers.

This was the first time they had used it on a human. It theory, it should have been fine. But that theory was only for humans, which Loki wasn't. It also didn't include the added pain killers. So maybe that's why Loki had been turned into a complete wreck. But for whatever reason, Tony never wanted to use that stuff again. He had the feeling Bruce felt the exact same way.

For hours, they had listened to loathing and self hatred fall from Loki's lips. Then there were the tears, and the apologies. Tony had never really been sorry for Loki. Not until now. He knew none of what Loki was saying was a lie. It couldn't be. Not with the amount of Tony and Bruce's special truth serum they had pumped into him. Loki had a way with words, and the more he talked, the more Tony felt his heart crumple.

Most of the time, they weren't even asking questions. They would ask something and just listen to Loki talk. One thought led to another, and pretty soon, he was just telling them all the little details about everything that had ever happened. Finding out he was adopted, being a different race entirely, especially one he had grew up fearing and hating, had been Loki's breaking point. A lifetime of feeling like you aren't good enough was something that Tony could relate to. The absence of Fatherly love. Who knew they had so much in common?

When Loki started talking about the invasion of New York, Bruce and Tony exchanged worried glances. At first Tony was glad to hear the whole story, feeling like it would bring him some sort of closure. But he was wrong, it made him feel a little hollow inside. After Loki's drop into the void, the Chitauri had found him. And thanks to the wonderful image Loki painted with his words, Tony was sure he would be having at least a few nightmares about Loki's inhumane treatment from the Chitauri.

The ways in which they tortured Loki made Tony feel dirty. And not in the good way. In the way that made him want to bleach his brain. If he had thought his time in Afghanistan was bad, it was nothing compared to what Loki went through. And after all that torture, they had finally gotten into Loki's head, making him completely free to control.

The fact that Loki had been possessed made sense. Tony wondered why he hadn't thought about it before. When Natasha thumped Clint's head, he had 'woken up'. When the Hulk had bashed Loki into the floor, that's probably when Loki woke up, too. It made sense. It had always bothered Tony why Loki didn't run. He had stayed in that little crater made by the Hulk from Loki's body. Now all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. It wasn't Loki's fault. He had never wanted to rule Earth.

Tony noticed the look on Bruce's face as he realized the same thing. Apparently he had the same questions in his mind as Tony did. Then Loki talked about his Mother's death, his big fight with Odin, and his banishment to 'Midgard'. Tony knew he and Bruce were never meant to hear any of this. So, he felt bad. Which was a rare thing. He was Tony Stark, he never felt guilty about anything.

Later that night, he could hardly sleep. Who knew accidentally breaking Loki's arm would lead to all _this_? If he had known, would he have done any different? Tony realized he wouldn't. He felt bad for Loki now. Loki was innocent. Well, more innocent that Tony had previously thought.

"Sir," JARVIS said, interrupting Tony's train of thought. "Your guest seems to be having night terrors."

Nightmares? Bruce? Tony had seen that happen once before. Bruce had almost Hullked out. It wasn't pretty, and he didn't want a repeat of that incident.

"Bruce?" He asked, headed for the door. "I'll be right down to his room. Tell me if anything happens."

"Not Dr. Banner, Sir."

Not Bruce? Well the only other person here was Loki. What was he having bad dreams about? After learning the things he did today, Tony wasn't sure he wanted to know.


	6. Chapter 6

For a few moments, Loki just stared at Stark. The memory of his questioning filling his mind. And now the other man had caught Loki weeping like a child. Oh, his life must be some sort of cruel joke!

"So," Tony started, lifting a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. "Wanna talk about those dreams, or we could just watch a movie or something."

Loki didn't answer him. Instead he just wiped away the tears, hoping Stark would leave soon. Apparently that wasn't about to happen though, as the other man walked into the room, picking up a chair, and dragging it to sit next to Loki. His sudden closeness made Loki uncomfortable. And yet, he didn't want to be alone at the moment.

"Well, then we'll watch a movie. But I get to pick." Stark laughed suddenly. "I know the perfect movie! JARVIS, play _**'the Hangover'**_."

And just like that, Stark pretended like he hadn't walked in on Loki crying. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why. Why wasn't he being mocked and laughed at? It would have been cruel, but at least it would make sense. Every so often, Loki would watch the movie. Is this what passed for Midguardian entertainment? Pathetic! But most of the movie was missed as Loki stared at Tony, trying to figure out why the other man was doing this.

"Just gunna stare at me the entire movie, Princess?" He said, glancing over at Loki. "I mean, I know I'm attractive, but you don't have to _stare_. Wait, scratch that. I'm way to sexy _not_ to stare at."

The cocky grin that spread across Starks face was downright infuriating, so Loki decided to watch the movie instead. Or, at least, he pretended too. He started thinking of escape plans. No one would help Loki out of the kindness of their heart, he knew that for a fact. So obviously Stark wanted something in return. Or maybe he was just going to torture him. Neither option sat well with Loki. But first thing was first, he needed to heal, fast. Then he could get out of here.

Finally when the movie had ended, Stark looked over at him. "So, what did you think?" He asked, enthusiastically.

"I'm glad I don't sunburn." Loki told him.

"Ha. You _didn't _sunburn." The other man reminded him. "That doesn't mean you wont now."

And so the mockery begins. He should've expected it. Loki looked down at his hands in his lap, waiting for Stark to continue. After a few minutes of silence, he looked up, confused. Where were the insults? Instead of the mean sneer he was expecting, Stark just looked awkward instead.

"So, uh, how about another movie?" He asked, stumbling over his words.

"I suppose." Loki wasn't sure what was happening. Tony was being nice. Not that many people have been nice to him before. Especially when Loki was a war criminal and had tried to posses the very man showing him kindness. But he wouldn't be fooled! It was all an act. Stark wanted to earn Loki's trust, while he healed, waiting for the right moment to bring in the punishment. Loki knew better than to let that happen. But still, watching a movie with a man he didn't necessarily enjoy the company of was better than being alone right now. "But something better this time. That last one was less than adequate."

Tony laughed, and was quiet for a moment. Thenn he smiled and said, "Oh I have the perfect one! JARVIS, play Catwoman."

This movie sort of caught Loki's attention. The cats for one thing, he liked. Loki liked animals in general. But cats had always been among his favorite. They're loyal to only those that they see fit. They show affection when it pleases them. And they're often misunderstood. The perfect animal, in Loki's eyes. And that was the only thing he liked about the movie. Just the cats.

When it was over, Loki turned to Stark, and realized he was asleep. Slouched in his chair, head tilted, and soft little snores. Instead of waking him up or falling asleep too, Loki just watched the other man sleep. Breathing in and out softly. Eventually, though, he drifted off to sleep too, secretly glad that he wasn't alone. Though he'd never admit it to anyone. Thankfully, he didn't dream the rest of the night.


End file.
